The Deepest Depths
by ToxicStudios
Summary: Sequel to "The Darkest Part of Me" and the conclusion to the Rainstorm Trilogy. Warning: Rated for a reason.


COPYRIGHT:  
>I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. The document is intended for fan use only and not for sale.<br>No Copyright infringement intended.

My slender figure slunk through the darkened hallways of Domino Museum, my feet making no sound whatsoever as they rose and fell again on the tiled-floor. About to turn a corner, I stopped in my tracks.

"Look down,"

A slippery voice ordered inside my head. My face dropped to see the toe of my black boot only centimeters away from a red beam of light.

"Best be cautious,"

The voice snickered inside my mind. Scowling mentally, I tip-toed and maneuvered through the field of scarlet light shafts with silky ease.

Creeping further down the hallway, I halted at a standstill, my eyes starring straight ahead at the security guard strolling down the corridor, whistling.

'I could use some help here,' I grimaced inwardly. The entity inside my head chuckled at me before a glint of gold light flashed from beneath my hood and the guard fell to the floor without ever hearing a sound.

Silently stepping over the body, I rounded the next corner.

Stopping before a glass box, I wordlessly admired it's contents. Slipping a small utensil out of my back pocket, the blade found it's way to the glass container.

"You're kidding? Not another break-in!" Tea' gasped over Yugi's shoulder as they read the newspaper.

"Afraid so," the short spiky-haired teen frowned as Joey and Tristan snatched the tabloid out of his hands for a better look.

"Six burglaries in two months! This guy's gotta be good!" the male brunette exclaimed.

"Yeah," Joey agreed. "What do you guys think?"

The blonde turned to Ryou and I who were sitting silently at a desk beside the window in the teacher-neglected classroom.

I shrugged, continuing to stare into empty space.

"I'm not quite sure, Joey," Ryou replied, putting more thought into his answer. "They're good. No doubt about that."

I rolled my eyes at all of them, knowing none of them would see.

"Hey Cahya," Tea' said suddenly, making my head turn. "I love your bracelet!"

I looked down at my golden, diamond-studded bangle that fitted loosely around my wrist. "Thanks," I said wryly, twisting it around and then resting my hand on the desk once more.

I felt a pair of familiar brown eyes on me. "Hm," Ryou hummed. "Where did you get it? It looks quite expensive." I sent him a mental glare; was he catching on?

"Bought it," I replied calmly. "Got a raise at work recently." The fact that I had neglected to speak in full sentences the past two months had yet to occur to the gang, with the exception of Ryou. I continued to do so because 1) it was easier and 2) it seemed to irritate the Albino and I some-what enjoyed watching him squirm.

"How wonderful," he smiled; I could tell it was fake. Our ability to read each other like books hadn't ceased…unfortunately.

As page 467 of my book turned, a separate leaf of paper found its way before my eyes. I looked up to see Joey holding a finger to his lips, and then ushering to Ryou who was sitting diagonally from me across the table. The white-haired boy flashed me a soft stare, a glance at the paper in my book, and then stood up to exit the library.

Rolling my eyes, (I've begun to do that a lot lately. Better not force the habit.) I quietly unfolded the note. Written in small, Ryou-handwritten-letters were the words:

"Meet me outside in the courtyard. We need to talk."

A shadow of a smile curved my lips. It was just like Ryou to leave a request in writing.

Not caring if I made all the noise in the world, I gathered my things, shoved them in my knapsack, and sauntered out the reading room, ignoring the harsh looks I received on my way.

I stepped outside, wincing as the strong sunlight stung my eyes.

Hanging a right, I arrived in the small square area outside the building surrounded by cherry trees. I looked around - no sight of the strange little Albino.

I stepped onto the patio, relishing in the shade it offered, when I felt a hand fall on my shoulder. I slung myself around only to come eye-to-eye with Ryou. For just a moment, I almost mistook him for the Spirit of the Millennium Ring, but one glance into his eyes told me different.

"Cahya? What on earth is the matter with you?" he demanded, his grip on my shoulder tightening. It didn't hurt; Ryou was never a rough person. His expression was more frantic that angry.

Despite that, I quirked an eyebrow in amusement. "By the looks of things, it appears that I should be asking you that question. Whatever are you talking about?" I lied. With Ryou, any such falsehood was in vain, but it was worth a try.

"You know exactly what it is!" he told me, fiercer this time, his other hand grabbing a hold of my wrist and shoving my gold bracelet in my face.

I gave him a glare straight from hell and wrenched my hand from his. "That's none of your business!" I snarled.

"It is when you get sent to jail!" he retorted. After a few short moments, he put both hands on my shoulders, gently holding me against the back of the gazebo. "I'm worried about you, Cahya…you're….you're scaring me…"

I chuckled privately; "Take a number and get in line," I wanted to say, but refrained from doing so.

A kind wind blew through the courtyard, sending a flock of pink blossoms writhing through the air. The gust blew through our locks and I watched as Ryou's wafted askew his pale face.

"Let me help you," he said, voice barely above a whisper.

There was no point; I was beyond help, but somewhere in the deepest depths of my heart, I found the light to be grateful that he at least wanted to help.

"You can't," I said wistfully, turning my face away from his so as not to meet his eyes. Then I felt him press against me, wrapping me in an embrace, our fronts fitting smoothly together like pieces of a puzzle. He was always…so warm; I felt his body heat coursing through me as he continued to hold me against the back of the patio. I could have gotten away at any moment if I wanted to, but I didn't feel that it was necessary at the moment.

"Cahya! Leave at once!"

The dark voice shouted at me from inside my head; I didn't even flinch as my ears heard the noise inaudible to Ryou. I ignored the order completely.

"Let me," he whispered to me.

'You can't…no one can…don't bother…' I kept saying to myself, but never moving my lips.

"Ryou…I…" I began, but then he pressed his forehead to mine, a gesture to remain quite.

"Cahya….tell me what is going on…" he asked, his tone almost pleading. God, I wanted to tell him more than anything; I just wanted to fall into his arms and spill every ounce of information I've been retaining for the past five, going on six months. But something was stopping me…

"Enough Cahya!"

I snarled inwardly; he was stopping me.

Heck, the dense spirit probably had a good reason!

Ryou! He needs to learn to stay out of other people's business! Nosey Ryou! Nosey, interfering, …caring, … sweet, … sensitive, … Ryou… God, he smelt good!

"Cahya…" he whispered my name, his voice like soft daises to my ears. Slowly, he leaned in and I felt his lips brush against mine ever so gently.

Like a bolt of lighting, a sharp pain pulsed to my temple, shooting ice into my head and making the burning shards bounce around inside my skull.

"I said no, Cahya!"

His voice ordered me again, now thundering inside my mind and making my head throb.

"No!" I shouted, shoving Ryou away, rejecting his warm body, his soft lips, and his safe embrace. What was I talking about? I wanted none of what he had!

He starred back at me, his eyes portraying the complete and utter betrayal I had just apparently thrust on him. Hmph, tough luck, kid, because I don't care. Turning my leather-clad back towards him, I began heading for home, not caring about the fretting eyes that watched me leave the courtyard.

What was strange about my street, was that it looked completely normal. People taught their kids to ride their bikes, and some walked their dogs. All the rented houses were lined-up evenly, every one looking exactly the same, a rather dull piece of scenery if you ask me.

Now from the outside, my small apartment-home looked exactly like everyone else's as well: craggy roof, broken railings, missing shingles, and in desperate need of a paint-job. However, everyone knows the saying, "Don't judge a book by it's cover." Speaking of books…

I slowly drug my feet up the steps of my front stoop and turned the doorknob.

… my house was straight out of a horror novel.

As the door opened, the familiar scent of darkness wafted over me. I stepped onto the invisible floor and shut the door behind myself.

In my apartment, there were no floors, no walls, nothing! There wasn't even any furniture, unless it was needed. It would appear for it's purpose, and then be gone.

The only thing inhabiting my home was darkness and shadows, shadows and darkness. Depending on the mood of its residents, sometimes a few lit candles could be found floating around, but nothing more.

All of a sudden, a thrown of gray skulls and other human bones began fading into view in the far corner, a sleek figure laying across it sideways. It was mere moments later that my eyes met those deep coffee spheres glowing in the faint light.

A tacky gold coronet formed a ring around his temple and he amusingly danced the gemstones of a pearl necklace through his fingers, his ankles locked as they dangled over the right armchair of his throne.

"Glad to see you made it,"

He hissed, a teasing grin on his lips.

This was something I had learned about the mischievous Spirit of the Millennium Ring; regardless of what his mood was at the time, he managed to keep that mocking smile on his face, which in turn continued to keep me guessing. One never could tell what he was about to do next.

"You took your time getting here,"

he told me, continuing to play with his gems (which happened to be rubies.)

"I was thinking," I said passively. I wasn't in the mood for details.

"Really?"

he pressed.

Apparently, he was.

"Little Ryou hasn't managed to sway your trust in me, has he?"

Another characteristic of the ancient thief that I had learned to loathe: he could read me almost has well as Ryou could, and not to mention he was as clever as a fox.

"Hmph! Him? You're delirious!" I snapped back, rolling my eyes. (I had to quit doing that.)

I saw a knowing smirk curve his lips.

"Then just what is that in your back pocket?"

he interrogated. I flashed a slightly confused look in his general direction, but he had sunk back into the shadows and quickly reappeared behind me. I felt him reach into the rear pouch on my jeans, leering at me over my shoulder with that impish glimmer in his dark eyes.

From within my pocket, he pulled out a folded up sheet of white notebook paper; it was the note I had received from Ryou today in the school library. He raised an amused eyebrow at me.

"I'm delirious, am I?"

he chuckled.

Keeping my face expressionless, I snatched the paper from his hands and held it up between our faces. Placing a hold on either side, I ripped it right down the middle and let a sneer spread across my features. I watched as he copied my look, reached forward, and tilted my face up by my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes.

"That's my girl,"

he whispered against my lips, the essence of vanilla vodka seeping into my mouth. His fingers traced the path from my jaw to the back of my neck, holding me before him. With quick ease, I mirrored him, cupping my opposing hand around the back of his neck. We stood there, paralleling each other with possible death grips, yet holding just an ounce of tenderness at the tips of our fingers. Perhaps mercy would be a more appropriate word though, considering that the Spirit was never tender.

Forcefully, he shoved his lips onto mine, doubling his grip on me by adding the other hand and letting his arms hold me from behind. I squirmed in his grasp, just to be playful, and threw both my arms around his neck, making sure my grip was tight. My hands tangled in his ghost-white hair as his mouth ravished mine.

I heard a growl radiate from the back of his throat, signaling that the fun was over. We pulled apart and he gazed at me like a lion gazes at a piece of meet.

"I have another spot for us to hit tonight."

he informed me as he turned back to his skull-laced throne, his backside catching my eyes when his hips swayed as he walked…So much…tight…leather…

I groaned loudly. We had been out three times already this week, and I don't mean to dinner.

"Where is it this time?" I asked with annoyance. Turning back to face me, he replied with a grin,

"Kaiba Corp."

Suddenly, a high-pitched gasp sounded from the left side of dark-inhabiting room. I flashed the thief a confused look, to which his eyebrows furrowed as he brushed aside a curtain of shadows, causing a window to the outside world to appear. Standing on the sidewalk in front of my house was Ryou with a shocked expression on his face. Our visions locked as I sent him the most denoting glare I could muster. His eyes going wide, he dashed off down the street at top speed in a blur of white hair and pale clothes.

"He knows! We can't let him get away!" I exclaimed, making a bolt for the door. That's when the Spirit held a firm hand up to stop me.

"Don't worry. He won't get far,"

he told me with a smirk, and snapped his fingers.

Ryou stood on the corner-street, his back pressed against the brick wall of the local library, his chest rising and falling as he tried to catch his breath after his avenue-long sprint.

'So that is what has been going on with Cahya,' he told himself. 'She's been associating with my darker half! I thought it was to good to be true that I haven't been bothered with him of late. And Kaiba Corp.? What are they thinking? Kaiba's got better security than most museums!'

The albino exhaled one last time, finally letting his breath settle back into its normal pattern.

"What am I going to do?" he wondered out loud, shifting his gaze towards the gray clouds that had begun to shadow the earth beneath them. 'Rain,' he thought. 'That is never a good thing.' Suddenly, he felt the sensation of the temperature around him dropping instantly.

He pivoted around, only to come nose-to-nose with a pair of vivid scarlet eyes. Giant, yellow-stained jaws snapped at his face, and he let out a surprised shriek. Bolting away, he sped down the sidewalk in front of him, the mass of shadows trailing after him in hot pursuit.

His feet flew across the pavement in which was beginning to get soaked with a steady coating of liquid falling from the sky.

"Wha-What in the world?" he gasped out loud, his muscles starting to burn with the effort to stay three or four paces ahead of the darkness. Then he heard a sinister voice whisper in his ear,

"Miss me?"

Ryou's eyes widened, then they narrowed and his teeth gritted to create the sound of a small snarl.

Just as he was occupied, his foot gave way beneath him; he had tripped, or someone had tripped him. He landed hard on the ground, pain shooting through his torso as it slammed into the concrete. Heart racing, he turned over on his side just in time to see the shadows lunge at him and incase his body in their freezing darkness.

"So what are we going to do with him?" I asked as the Spirit locked the last shackle around the unconscious Ryou's wrist. "It would seem most reasonable to just do away with him." The Ancient Egyptian Thief cast me an amused, but seemingly proud glance.

"As much as I would like to do so, it isn't in our best interest. If those nosey little friends of his find out that he's missing, they'll come looking for us,"

he explained. Damn. I was looking forward to removing the nuisance known as Ryou out of my life forever.

I watched as his eyes shifted to an invisible wall of my apartment; he always did this when he was sensing something.

"Get ready. It's almost night,"

he said.

I nodded and proceeded through the darkness to find the clothes I wore for our little "outings."

The Spirit glared down at his shorter counterpart, eyes frozen in a loathing stare. That's when a pair of soft chocolate eyes fluttered open. His eyes lids slowly rose, then he blinked rapidly to improve his vision.

"Hello, light,"

the Thief greeted smugly, kneeling in front of his doppelganger. Latching a finger beneath the younger boy's chin, the darker being forced them eye-to-eye.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?"

he snickered.

Defiance flashed in Ryou's weary eyes. "What is it that you want with Cahya?"

The Spirit of the Millennium Ring chortled,

"She's the least of your worries at the moment."

For the first time, Ryou gave a slight struggle against the chains that bound him to the wall.

The Thief smirked,

"She's mine now."

Then the Tomb Robber let his other half's head fall and walked away, his stride reflecting his victory.

I slunk through the darkened hallways on the top floor at Kaiba Corp., my feet rising and then replacing themselves on the tiled floor with complete silence.

"Which way?" I asked under my breath as I approached a fork in the corridors.

"Left,"

he responded in my conscious, and I quickly made the turn.

I continued on my way until I reached a door. Unfortunately, the door in question had a keypad on it asking for a password. Shoot! Leave it to Kaiba to password a freaking door! My hand reached out to touch it, and not a moment after I had done so, the utter stillness was broken by a high-pitched siren sounding throughout the passages and made the entire room flash bright red.

'No! I've got to get out of here!' I thought; my human instinct was telling me to flee from trouble, and I was very bound to listen to it.

"Not without the program!"

he argued, a slight pain pulsing to my temple; I ignored it.

"It'll have to wait!" I shouted over the sirens, and took off back down the hallway. Before I had even turned the first corner, six or seven guards formed a circle around me, and I grimaced both inwardly and upon my face.

'Spirit!' I cried in my mind's room. 'Help me!'

No answer.

"What?" I gasped out loud; it was as if a sudden weight was lifted off my shoulders. I suddenly felt …clean…and free? Then the gravity of the situation settled down onto me again.

'Thief! Where are you?' I called consciously again.

Again, no reply. For the first time in months, I could feel no presence of the Spirit of the Millennium Ring within me.

"Get her!" I heard a guard shout.

No way! Spirit or not, there was no way I was going to jail! Quickly, I assumed a fighting stance, but before I even lunged at one, a terrific sting snapped across my back from behind, and I plummeted to the floor.

When my eyes finally drifted open, you'd never guess where I found myself.

Yep. A jail cell - complete with horrific smelling bunk beds, a window smaller than the size of my face, and of course the ever-so-infamous steel bars.

I glared at nothing in particular and reached for my chest, surprisingly feeling to essence of metal. I looked down. No sign of the Millennium Ring. I opened my mouth and inhaled deeply. No sign of it's owner either; his existence was completely hidden from me. Then, I sniffed again. A slight taste of darkness met my tongue and my head jerked towards the doorway leading to my row of cells as it opened.

"Make it quick! Visiting hours are almost over," I heard a gruff voice say, a policeman no doubt.

"Of course, officer,"

said another. It was him! There was no doubt about it! I'd recognize that oily, dark-laced voice anywhere!

Sure enough, darkness itself walked up to my "cage" and stood before me, a half-smile twisting his lips.

"Hello Cahya,"

he said as if it were during a completely normal circumstance in which he was greeting me.

"Thief," I muttered quietly, gazing into his eyes, seeking comfort from this horrid dump I had been thrown in. Truthfully, these walls frightened me almost as much as he had when we first met.

"Good timing. Now get me out of here," I exclaimed, wrapping my fingers around the bars in front of me. Of course, I was expecting him to give me some darkness-infused magic-act, but nothing came. Instead, I just watched as the smile on his face grew wider and a snicker escaped his lips.

"You would like that wouldn't you? If I were to rescue you from this horrible prison, but I -like society- am not one to let crimes go unpunished,"

he said slowly. I was in utter shock, and it took a moment or so to sink in.

"Wha….what?" I stuttered, my mouth lingering open as if I were trying to breathe in more air. It was only just then that I realized that I had stopped breathing. Suddenly, fury swept over me.

"Crime? You're a thief! To you I've done no crime! I've done your bidding!"

He seemed to smile at me.

"No, Cahya. You've done my bidding and failed! Perhaps you're not the partner I thought you were…"

"No…" I whispered. "No! You can't leave me here! Get me out!" I wailed furiously at him, blinking my eyes as fast as I could, trying to hold back tears.

"You're still the same, sad, lonely girl I met six months ago, Cahya - completely useless without my help,"

he growled. All amusement filtered from his eyes, all emotion left save for one: anger. No longer was he just toying with me, now he was serious. Never before had I seen this look on his features.

"Of course…"

The Spirit peered at me, his expression changing ever so slightly. Now a tiny glint of mischief, a look that is always seen in his pupils, sparkled in his eyes.

"Considering how well you've done in the past,"

he smirked.

"Perhaps I'll come back and get you after you've suffered for a while, and besides…it'll be fun watching you squirm."

Now the tears that I had so desperately been trying to hold back began pouring down my face.

"You can't do this to me…" I cried.

His smirk grew wider.

"Actually….I can."

And with that, he walked away.

I slunk to the floor, tears tickling the skin on my throat. My mouth opened as I tried to breath, and the words left my lips before I knew I had screamed them.

"How could you?…I LOVED YOU!"

I heard the door slam shut and nothing but the sound of my sobs echoed throughout the corridor of cages. Then I felt his familiar darkness seep back into my soul. In a strange way, it seemed to wrap itself around me and I welcomed the sensation with a bitter smile. I frantically tried to get a tight hold onto it with my heart, but the Spirit yanked it from my grasp. I heard his voice whisper to me from within my mind, as I had heard him do so many times before.

"If you wanted love…you should've stayed with "dear" Ryou."

As soon as I heard those words, it left: his darkness, his voice, his presence, and the sense of security I was granted when he was around - it all left.

I wheezed for air as I let the tears fall uncontrollably from my eyes, blurring my vision and restricting my ability to move. I clawed at my chest, as if trying to pull out the darkness from the deepest depths of my heart. I had relied on it, the darkness, and on him, for so long, now I felt completely empty, as if I was nothing but a shell of a person left to fade into nothingness and the process was going to take all of eternity.

When finally my eyes had cried themselves dry, I got up, forced myself down onto my bed, adjusted my head to the hard pillow, and drifted off into an uneven sleep.

I was awake, I was sure, but I was submerged in total blackness. The darkness, was it back? No…my eyes were just still closed.

I forced them open and rubbed them clean of the gunk that had accumulated on my eyelashes overnight. Taking a large intake of breath, a sharp pang hit the inside of my lungs. The air I breathed in seemed heavy with the tincture of frost. Frost? It was Spring.

'Clean air,' I told myself. Is this what air tasted like without being tainted by shadows? So fresh? I had forgotten. It was like peppermint almost. It practically froze my lungs, and made my body burn, but my spirit craved it like a newborn pup craves its mother's milk, so I breathed in deeply again.

My eyesight seemed clearer too. Sunlight shone in through the tiny window of my cell. It burned my eyes, but I drank in the image graciously. For so long now I had looked up to the sky and normally saw only gray, but now everything seemed so bright, so unmarked, and full of life.

Who would've thought a jail cell could hold so much beauty?

Then the sound of a door opening drifted to my ears. I watched anxiously as a person walked up to my cell.

At first, the stunning white hair and brown eyes made my chest cavern ache, but when I saw no golden artifact hanging around his neck, I did a double take. Starring back at me with tired eyes was Ryou. In one hand, I noticed a check, signed and dated.

As my feet rose and landed with soft 'thuds' on the sidewalk, the sun's rays beamed down on me, warming my outer layer of skin. However, even though the bright light shone above us, a light drizzle tainted the area. My nose faced the ground, following the footsteps of my white-haired companion.

"Looks like the Devil's beating his wife today," Ryou chuckled half-heartedly. [1]

"No…" I muttered quietly, expecting it when he pivoted around quickly to flash me a weird look.

"Huh?"

"No," I repeated. "The Devil's wife is going to beat him today." Ryou continued to look at me in confusion, turning his head in that cute puppy-dog way that I suddenly remembered. "The Spirit said that he was going to come back and get me in jail. He'll be looking for me," I explained.

Ryou's eyes lost their confusion, but became almost frantic with worry. "Then you must hide!" he exclaimed, taking my wrist and attempting to rush me away somewhere.

"No," I said for the third time that minute.

"Wha…what?" he choked out. "Cahya! After all this…you-"

"I have to finish this…the Spirit's still out there."

Dark auras rode the wind, swirling themselves in a tornado pattern and creating a very familiar figure amidst their shadows. As the darkness ebbed away, from within the vortex a pair of gleaming gray irises opened, long black lashes outlining them in a beautiful array. Dirty blonde hair billowed behind her waist. Delicate, long hands tightened into fists as her arms folded against a leather-clothed chest.

Starring back into her eyes, were a pair the shade of dark chocolate, the wind conjured from the dark magic throwing his snow-white hair awry his sharp features.

"A back-up never hurt."

I almost found it amusing how Ryou could barely keep up with me as we raced for my home apartment. My acute senses could pick up his panting breath four or five strides behind me the whole way.

"We're here," I said bluntly, stopping in front of the house; was in just me, or had it gotten even creepier since I was last here?

I took a step forward, but a gentle hand held me back via my wrist.

"Cahya," Ryou called me back. "What if-"

"I have no other choice. Don't come if you don't want too." I cut him off. His eyes filled with sadness at my tone of voice. Only a few months ago, I would open up to him, sit next to him on his sofa, laugh with him until tears flowed like rivers from my eyes, and even cuddle close to him under a blanket when the heater broke in the dead of winter. Now, we almost seemed distant. Well…not quite distant, but it was as the bond that connected us had grown blurred, instead of bold like it once was.

"No," he said. Geez, that must've been everyone's favorite word this afternoon. "You're not going in there without me!" I flashed him one of those "thanks-but-you're-a-foolish-idiot" looks, to which he smiled back at. Ha, what do you know? We could still practically read each other's minds.

"Well…here goes then," I sighed, exhaling loudly. I then would inhale as I made my way up the stoop, my breathing matching my feet's time of travel up the stairs, Ryou's feet right behind mine.

Taking one last long breath, I reached for the doorknob, turned it, and pushed.

Stepping into the memorable darkness, I was suddenly pulled inside as if a vortex was sucking me into the house. Gushes of wind threw themselves at me and through all the craziness I could see Ryou out of the corner of my eyes, also being tossed around by the rough, dark, winds.

Unexpectedly, I was thrown onto a hard cement ground, the loud sound of a 'thump' next to me followed by a series of uncomfortable groans telling me that I was still in the company of the young Albino.

Instantly, the smell of rain hit my senses. A second later, I noticed the water falling and drenching us from the sky, flashes of light highlighting the clouds and earsplitting crashes playing a song behind him. Everything was painted the obvious color of night, and we were sandwiched in a small alleyway between two city buildings.

"How did we end up here?" Ryou asked, pulling me to my feet, and brushing filth off of the both of us. I opened my mouth to respond, but another voice beat me to it.

"Hello my dear Cahya! And Ryou's here as well! What a 'sweet' get-together this will be!"

he snickered from the blackness; from his tone, I could tell he was way to excited.

"Spirit!" I growled. "Why have you taken us here?"

"Come now, Cahya. Don't tell me you've forgotten?" I heard him simper. That's when my surroundings showed me images that I thought I had forgotten.

His body was pressed dangerously against mine, his hands pinning my wrists to the brick alleyway wall. His lips rested just centimeters from mine, his tantalizing words captivated me from inside my head as his touch mesmerized my senses. His spell…his essence…his darkness…seeping into me…

I snapped back into reality, my features forming a sneer.

"You seem to remember quite well, eh?"

he snickered. It annoyed me to know end that I couldn't see him, and annoyed me even more that I, true to his word, had remembered.

"Cahya, what does he mean?" Ryou asked, terror lacing his words, as he side-stepped closer to me. Typical Ryou.

"That's right! We never told him, did we?"

the Spirit's voice laughed.

"This was where you first fell to me. I think it's only fitting that this be the place that you fall to me again…for the second time!"

As these last words found my ears, my eyes found a figure working its way towards us, the lighting in the sky bouncing off its leather clothing and allowing me little light to convey what I saw.

Naturally, I expected the Spirit of the Millennium Ring, but I couldn't have been more wrong.

Starring back at me was cold gray eyes and pin-straight dirty-gold hair, all dressed in black from head to toe.

"He he! You seem shocked!" she seemed to giggle, but her voice was anything but a sweet basket of giggles. As much as I didn't want to admit it, I was shocked; actually, I was shocked beyond all belief. I even saw Ryou do a double-take. Standing some ten feet or so from us, was an exact (and I do mean 'exact') mirror image of myself!

"I thought I would take a different approach this time!"

the Spirit chuckled as he walked up behind the other me, his stance radiating smugness.

The four of us stood in silence the next few moments, the only noise being that of the falling rain pelting us and the ground, until the occasional burst of thunder decided to accompany it.

"I will admit Cahya that I shouldn't have left you in that jail cell. And I am truly sorry,"

the Thief smiled at me, his voice caked with hints that he was lying. I found it funny that history's greatest thief couldn't lie his way out of a day care.

"I didn't think that so much darkness would lift from you so quickly. It was meant to be a punishment, but no dark being should suffer from so much light,"

he told me. My heart gave a lurch as I remembered how it had burned when I was re-introduced to the light.

"But now you're welcomed back. This replica is an example…an example of what you are in the deepest depths of your heart…the Queen of All Shadows!"

At his latest words, I felt my mouth open against my will, but instead of speaking, my tongue graciously tasted the air, letting the sweet flavor of the darkness coat my taste-buds. It was as if my heart surrounded itself in a vicious flurry, like I was rejuvenated as I got a sip of my most intimate element. My eyes rolled into the back of my head and the lids closed; I exhaled slowly, relishing in my state. I remembered…I remembered how good it felt…then opened my eyes to stare back at the Spirit and my doppelganger.

"It feels good…doesn't it, Cahya?"

the Spirit tempted, letting that charming grin of his curve his hot lips.

He was right. It felt so good, and I savored it, never wanting to let the sensation go. If I was so quick to be pulled back into the shadows, maybe I had never left, or perhaps I really did belong in the darkness.

"Cahya…" I heard my name coming from his angelic lips. Ryou.

Out of the blue, an almost malicious smile spread its way across my face as I turned to my former friend. Raising my hand, I gently traced his jaw-line with my nail, finding it entertaining when he shivered.

"Miss me…okay?" I asked, my tone of voice not matching the look in my eyes. My manner was much…lighter…than my appearance at this point.

His eyes revealed only perplexity, and I gave a slight chuckle.

"It doesn't matter," I whispered. "You won't remember." With that, I turned to the darker beings and begin making my way towards them, step by step, feeling Ryou's utter disbelief. Meanwhile, the Spirit had a cocky smirk on his face.

"You're right, Spirit," I nodded; I was about half-way to them now.

"Cahya, no!" Ryou screamed, making a move to grab for me.

"Stop him!"

the ancient Egyptian thief ordered, my clone lunging for Ryou. With graceful ease, she wrenched hands around his wrist and threw him against the wet, brink wall to our right and held him there.

"Cahya!" My childhood friend struggled against her (all in vain) as he called my name again, but I paid him no heed as I made my way closer to the Spirit of the Millennium Ring.

"I do belong with you…in the darkness…" I whispered, my eyes becoming glossy as the lighting calmed itself. The rain now fell softly with no wind or electricity to join in with the storm; I was standing right before the Thief now, starring into his eyes like he was my world.

"We agree then…"

he claimed, his hand cradling the side of my face, then stroking it all the way down as if continuing to tempt his already caught prey.

"Cahya! No! Don't!" Ryou continued to plead.

"Quite you!" my double hissed, tightening her hold on him.

I placed my hands against his chest, sliding them down his torso. "Yes…we agree on this, Spirit," I said, my voice purposely sounding as if I were in a dream-like state. "But…I would like to point one thing out…" I told him quietly, both my hands stopping at the two pieces of jewelry that hung from his neck: the Millennium Ring and the pendant that glowed from the inside with what was once my light. I took one in each hand and held them with seemingly loving hands.

"My heart is filled with darkness," I said, taking a tassel at the bottom of the Ring more firmly in my left hand.

I could sense the gleeful smirk on the Spirit's face.

"But this darkness…" I went on, fingering his shimmering white accessory.

"Yes?"

he urged.

Then, I finished my statement, the grin on my face more wicked than any smirk I had ever seen on his mouth.

"…BELONGS TO ME!" And with all my strength, stabbed the tassel from the Ring right through the light emanating from the necklace. All at once, whiteness burst from the ornament, stinging the eyes of every inhabitant of the alleyway. The light was then accompanied by pure, pitch-black darkness that swirled and enveloped us all. The rain around us froze and hail began to fall instead; hurricane-force winds blew against our faces and whipped my hair around my face.

"You…you foolish girl! Don't you realize what you've done?"

the Spirit howled, his hair fluttering in every direction.

"Cahya! What did you do?" Ryou cried to me above the blustery weather, but his voice was never farther from getting to me.

"When you stole my light to become whole, you allowed your darkness to seep into me," I hissed to the Thief, making him remember and unadulterated pleasure swept through me as I watched true fear flood his eyes for the first time.

"I thought I had brought a monster into the world by making you whole," I went on. "But I was wrong. It wasn't I who created a monster…" A smirk curved my lips. "It was you!" Dark magic layered itself over my fist and my fingers caught the collar of his shirt. "This is MY darkness, and it rivals your own!" With that, his eyes returned to their normal state of defiance and is lips assumed their usual position, a smirk.

"Well then…we shall see,"

he snickered, and attempted to snap his fingers, but not before my hand made contact with his and two forces of darkness collided.

Nothing but darkness surrounded us: he and I; the two of us located in a realm only reachable by beings like us and unbeknown by all others. Ryou and my other half had left our sight, no longer part of our lives as we were no longer part of theirs, their memories erased until the dawn of time. We stood in the shadowed abyss, eyeing each other down. His glare seemed to pierce through my skull with untainted hatred, and yet, held a tint of lust. Almost in amusement, my expression mirrored his.

With a flick of his hand, hordes of shadows rushed towards me. They reached the tip of my nose before fading away into nothingness except for a tiny flicker which gathered itself around my hand; I grinned as it slunk through my fingers like a pet snake.

"Pure darkness on pure darkness…"

he whispered wistfully, his appearance (for once) unreadable.

I nodded slowly and replied in a silky tone,

"For all eternity."

Weeks later, a beautiful snow-blonde-haired girl sat in a patio beneath a cherry blossom tree in the school courtyard, a familiar soul sitting beside her. Wind gusted through her hair and carried the sweet scent of the flowers to her nose. Clutching a necklace to her chest she leaned into his comforting embrace.

"Cahya?" he stated the name in that accent that she loved so much.

"Yes?" she said quietly to him so he would know that she had heard.

He pulled away slightly and she lifted her head from his shoulder to watch his expression change from a smile to an uncomfortable quirk.

"I ..er…you…" he stuttered.

"Yes?" she ushered.

She heard him release a sigh of frustration and lean forward. Her eyes widened slightly as he gently pressed his lips to hers.

"Cahya! Bakura!" A voice called them from a distance.

They instantly pulled back from each other before the loud blonde had seen them.

"There you guys are! We been looking all over for ya'z!" Joey exclaimed as Yugi, Tristan, and Tea' appeared by his side.

"What were you guys doing out here?" Yugi asked.

Ryou and the girl exchanged a look and she swore she saw him blush.

"Nothing of interest," she replied with a smile.

"Well either way, whose up for game night at Yugi's?" Tristan called out excitedly.

"I'm in!" the blonde girl said, standing up.

"Hm-hm. Me too," the Albino agreed, meeting her height.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Tea' laughed and raced off with Yugi at her heels, quickly followed by Joey and Tristan.

Ryou made a notion to follow them, but the girl hung back, causing him to stop and look at her over his shoulder.

"Cahya, what is it?" he asked.

"Oh, it's nothing," she told him. "Go on, I'll catch up."

He rose an eyebrow at her, but proceeded to go ahead with the others.

Then, looking around, she removed the necklace from around her neck and gazed into its reflective surface. She let a smile fall across her face as she dropped the piece of jewelry and watched as it shattered upon hitting the hard floor of the patio. Left in the shards, no image looked back at her but her own.


End file.
